It would be an understatement to say that McLaren has under-performed this year, yet Fernando Alonso says 2017 has been 'fantastic' so far.
Alonso is making the best of a bad situation which has persisted since he joined the McLaren-Honda adventure in 2015.
Results have fallen massively short of expectations following the Japanese manufacturer's inability to deliver a power unit on a par with its rivals.
But despite the endless struggles, the Spanish driver considers the current season as one of his best on a personal level.
"As a team we can’t be happy with the season so far," said the two-time world champion.
"We were making it into Q3 normally last year, ninth/10th was our average position whereas this year we struggled a bit more.
"On the personal side, it has been a very, very good season for me. With the 2017 cars, I’m able to drive back again to my driving style, I feel much more competitive than the previous years, I’m feeling competitive out there on the track.
"I had the Indy 500 which was a nice experience, go-kart circuit is going great, fantastic. So it’s been a fantastic first half of the season."
Regardless of the personal satisfaction he feels, Alonso's future with McLaren is still seriously in doubt, with a hard decision looming at the end of the summer as to whether he will remain with the Woking-based outfit or call it a day.
Honda has improved lately as McLaren's double-points finish in Hungary demonstrated, but for Alonso it could be a case of too little too late.
"I’ll be thinking about my future during the break, for sure," Alonso said.
"As I’ve said before, September/October is my timeline to decide what I’ll do next year. I want to win, I think I’m at the top of my game now.
"So let’s hope everything goes well and we’ll find the best solution for everybody."
